Geographic Information for Wireless Networks

ABSTRACT

Techniques for geographic information for wireless networks are described. According to various embodiments, a connectivity module on a mobile device receives geographic position information for a mobile device from another functionality of the mobile device and independent of a query by the connectivity module for the information. The connectivity module retrieves the geographic position information locally on the device, and utilizes the geographic position information to cause various actions to be performed. For instance, the connectivity module utilizes the geographic position information to identify a wireless network at a particular geographic region, and to cause a wireless scan to be initiated to detect the wireless network.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/590,515, entitled “Geographic Information forWireless Networks” and filed Jan. 6, 2015, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Today's mobile devices provide users with a tremendous amount ofportable functionality. For instance, smartphones, tablets, laptops, andso on, enable users to perform a variety of different tasks withoutbeing tied to a particular location. Since a user may move betweenlocations, it can be useful to know where a user is located at aparticular time, such as for providing location-specific content andservices.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subjectmatter.

Techniques for geographic information for wireless networks aredescribed. According to various embodiments, a connectivity module on amobile device receives geographic position information for a mobiledevice from another functionality of the mobile device and independentof a query by the connectivity module for the information. Theconnectivity module retrieves the geographic position informationlocally on the device, and utilizes the geographic position informationto cause various actions to be performed. For instance, the connectivitymodule utilizes the geographic position information to identify awireless network at a particular geographic region, and to cause awireless scan to be initiated to detect the wireless network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Theuse of the same reference numbers in different instances in thedescription and the figures may indicate similar or identical items.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an environment in an example implementationthat is operable to employ techniques discussed herein in accordancewith one or more implementations.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example network table in accordance with one ormore implementations.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for causing anaction to be performed based on geographic position information inaccordance with one or more implementations.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for performingan action based on geographic position information in accordance withone or more implementations.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for preparingfor connection to a wireless network in accordance with one or moreimplementations.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for selectinga wireless network in accordance with one or more implementations.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for deletingstale network information in accordance with one or moreimplementations.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for causing awireless radio to transition to an inactive state in accordance with oneor more implementations.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example system and computing device as describedwith reference to FIG. 1, which are configured to implement embodimentsof techniques described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

Techniques for geographic information for wireless networks aredescribed. According to various implementations, a connectivity moduleon a mobile device registers to receive a notification when geographicalposition information is available on the mobile device. For instance,the connectivity module registers to receive a wake event to wake theconnectivity module from an inactive state when the geographic positioninformation is available. Generally, the connectivity module representsa functionality that manages various wireless connectivity tasks for amobile device.

According to one or more implementations, a connectivity module receivesgeographic position information for a mobile device independent of aquery for the information. For instance, when another functionality ofthe mobile device (e.g., an application and/or service) retrievesgeographic position information, the connectivity module is notifiedthat the information is available locally on the device. According tovarious implementations, the geographic position information correspondsto an estimated current location of the mobile device, and/or aprojected future location estimated based on trajectory and velocityinformation for the mobile device. The connectivity module retrieves thegeographic position information locally on the device, and utilizes thegeographic position information to cause various actions to beperformed.

For instance, the connectivity module utilizes the geographic positioninformation to identify and select a wireless network that is availableat a location that corresponds to the geographic position information.The connectivity module causes a network scan to be performed toidentify wireless signal from the wireless network. For instance, theconnectivity module schedules a network scan to be performed to detectthe wireless network. Alternatively or additionally, the connectivitymodule instructs a wireless functionality of a mobile device to activateits wireless radio and scan for the wireless network.

According to various implementations, a connectivity module of a mobiledevice is maintained in an inactive state until a wake event is receivedin response to geographic position information being available locallyon the mobile device. Further, a wireless functionality of a mobiledevice (e.g., a wireless radio) is maintained in an inactive state(e.g., off) until the connectivity module identifies an availablewireless network at a particular location, and causes the wirelessfunctionality to activate and scan for the wireless network. Thus,various resources of a mobile device are conserved, such as batterylife, processing resources, wireless communication resources, and soforth.

For instance, instead of causing a wireless radio to perform openscanning in an attempt to identify an available wireless network, thewireless radio is kept in an inactive state until geographical positioninformation is received and correlated to a known available wirelessnetwork at a particular location. At such point, the wireless radio isactivated to search for the known available wireless network. Variousother details of the techniques discussed herein are provided below.

According to various implementations, preparation for connectivity to awireless network can occur ahead of time, such as prior to the wirelessnetwork being detected and/or prior to the wireless network beingin-range. For instance, a network profile is loaded for a wirelessnetwork that is identified based on geographic position information andprior to the wireless network being detected. Generally, the networkprofile includes connectivity information such as a network identifierfor the wireless network, authentication information for the wirelessnetwork, and so forth. Accordingly, the connectivity information is madeavailable such that when the wireless network is detected (e.g., basedon a wireless radio scan), the connectivity information is readilyavailable. Thus, connection time and system resource usage are reducedfor the connection process.

In the following discussion, an example environment is first describedthat is operable to employ techniques described herein. Next, a sectionentitled “Example Procedures” describes some example procedures forgeographic information for wireless networks in accordance with one ormore embodiments. Finally, a section entitled “Example System andDevice” describes an example system and device that are operable toemploy techniques discussed herein in accordance with one or moreembodiments.

Example Environment

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an environment 100 in an exampleimplementation that is operable to employ techniques for geographicinformation for wireless networks in accordance with one or moreimplementations. Environment 100 includes a client device 102 which canbe embodied as any suitable device such as, by way of example and notlimitation, a smartphone, a wearable device, a tablet computer, aportable computer (e.g., a laptop), a desktop computer, and so forth.One of a variety of different examples of the client device 102 is shownand described below in FIG. 9.

The client device 102 includes an operating system 104, a wirelessmodule 106, a client location module 108, a connectivity module 110, anetwork database (DB) 112, and applications 114. Generally, theoperating system 104 is representative of functionality to manageresources of the client device 102 and may be implemented using anysuitable instruction format. According to various implementations, theoperating system 104 abstracts various resources of the client device102 to enable various entities to access and interact with theresources.

The wireless module 106 is representative of functionality to enable theclient device 102 to communicate wirelessly with other devices and/orentities. The wireless module 106 can be configured to enable datacommunication via a variety of different wireless techniques andprotocols. Examples of such techniques and/or protocols include cellularcommunications (e.g. 3G, 4G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), and so forth),near field communication (NFC), short-range wireless connections (e.g.,Bluetooth), local area wireless networks (e.g., one or more standards incompliance with IEEE 802.11), wide area wireless networks (e.g., one ormore standard in compliance with IEEE 802.16), wireless telephonenetworks, and so on.

The wireless module 106, for instance, includes hardware and logiccomponents that can be employed to enable the client device 102 tocommunicate wirelessly. Examples of such wireless hardware componentsinclude radio transmitters, radio receivers, various types and/orcombinations of antennas, and so on. In at least some embodiments, theclient device 102 is a multi-radio device that can communicate viadifferent wireless technologies and/or protocols. For example, thewireless module 106 includes wireless radios 116 which arerepresentative of hardware for transmitting and receiving wirelesssignals according to different wireless technologies and protocols.

The client location module 108 is representative of functionality toenable the client device 102 to ascertain its location based on locationinformation received from other devices. The client location module 108,for instance, can receive location information from position informationsystems 118, and can process the location information in various ways toestimate a location of the client device 102. Examples of positioninformation include GPS coordinates, street addresses, network location,location with reference to a cell tower and/or set of cell towers, andso forth.

According to various implementations, the client device 102 communicateswireless via connectivity to one or more networks 120. Generally, thenetworks 120 are representative of a combination of differentinterconnected networks. In at least some implementations, the networks120 include different portions of the radio spectrum that may beleveraged for wireless communication. The networks 120, for instance,may include a cellular network, a wireless broadband network (e.g.,WiFi™), a satellite communication network, a short range wirelessnetwork (e.g., Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), and so on),and so forth. The networks 120 may also represent a combination ofwireless and wired networks and may be configured in a variety of ways,such as a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), theInternet, and so forth. Accordingly, communication between the clientdevice 102 and other devices may be implemented via a variety ofdifferent technologies (wired and wireless), such as wireless broadband,Bluetooth, cellular, and so forth.

The connectivity module 110 is representative of functionality to managevarious wireless connectivity tasks for the client device 102. Asfurther detailed below, the connectivity module 110 can utilize positioninformation detected by the client device 102 to perform differentconnectivity-related tasks. For instance, the connectivity module 110performs various aspects of techniques for geographic information forwireless networks discussed herein.

According to various implementations, the network DB 112 isrepresentative of functionality to retrieve and store networkinformation about the different networks 120. The network DB 112, forinstance, stores network identifiers for individual networks 120, suchas service set identifiers (SSID) and other types of networkidentifiers.

The network DB 112 further correlates individual networks 120 withdifferent location information, such as geographical locations at whichthe client device 102 may connect to the different networks 120. Forexample, the network DB 112 includes a connectivity range mapping thatcorrelates individual networks 120 with particular geographical rangesin which a quality of wireless connectivity to the individual networksis acceptable, e.g., exceeds a threshold signal quality and/or signalstrength.

The network DB 112 further stores authentication information for thedifferent networks 120. Examples of such authentication informationinclude network keys, network passwords, usernames for network accounts,authentication protocols utilized by individual networks, and so forth.Generally, the authentication information enables connectivity to thevarious networks 120.

The network DB 112 may store a variety of other information for thenetworks 120, such as network type, network service provideridentifiers, historic network quality, and so forth.

The applications 114 are generally representative of functionalities toperform various tasks via the client device 102. As used herein, theterm “applications” can refer to applications that are run locallyand/or in a distributed environment, as well as services such as localservices, web services, cloud-based services, and so forth. Examples ofthe applications 114 include a word processing application, a webbrowser, an email client, a communication service, a spreadsheetapplication, a content editing application, a web-based service portal,a geographic location service, and so forth.

According to one or more implementations, information for the network DB112 may be retrieved from a network information service 122. Generally,the network information service 122 is representative ofnetwork-accessible resource for information for the networks 120 and maybe implemented in various ways, such as a cloud service, a serviceimplemented by a network service provider, a standalone service, and soforth.

For purposes of discussion herein, various entities may be referred toin both plural and singular implementations. Accordingly, a reference tosingular implementation refers to an instance of the pluralimplementation.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example network table 200 in accordance with oneor more implementations. The network table 200, for instance, isimplemented as part of the network DB 112 to enable the connectivitymodule 110 to leverage network information to perform variousconnectivity-related tasks for the client device 102.

The network table 200 includes a network identifier (ID) column 202, anauthentication information column 204, an authentication protocol column206, a geographic range column 208, and a network preference column 210.These examples of different network information are presented forpurpose of example only, and it is to be appreciated that various othertypes of network information may be tracked and leveraged in accordancewith the implementations disclosed herein.

Generally, the different rows in the network table 200 represent networkprofiles for different wireless networks. For instance, a networkprofile 212 represents a network profile for a wireless Network ABC.Examples of information included in the different network profiles isnow discussed.

The network ID column 202 includes identifiers for different wirelessnetworks, such as for the networks 120. Various types of identifiers maybe employed, such as network names, network SSIDs, internet protocol(IP) addresses, and so forth. Generally, the individual rows of thenetwork table 200 correspond to network profiles for different networksidentified in the network ID column 202.

The authentication information column 204 includes authenticationinformation for different networks, such as network keys, passwords,user names, and so forth. The authentication protocols column 206identifies authentication protocols utilized by different networks, andwhether particular networks utilize authentication. For instance, somenetworks are open and thus may not utilize an authentication protocol.

The geographic range column 208 includes geographic information thatidentifies geographic regions for the different wireless networks. Forinstance, the range column 208 includes GPS coordinates and/or othergeographic information that describes geographic regions in whichconnectivity to particular wireless networks is available. As anexample, the “ABC_Geographic Coordinates” for the Network ABC may defineboundaries of a geographic region within which connectivity to theNetwork ABC is available and/or is within acceptable signal strengthand/or signal quality.

The network preference column 210 identifies whether certain wirelessnetworks are preferred over others. For instance, a particulargeographic region may have multiple available wireless networksidentified in the network table 200. In such as case, an availablenetwork identified in the preference column 210 as being preferred isgiven preference for network connectivity for a device (e.g., the clientdevice 102) over another available network that is not preferred.

Network preference may be based on various factors, such as historicsignal strength (e.g., a network with higher historic signal strength ispreferred over a network with lower historic signal strength), historicsignal quality (e.g., a network with higher historic signal quality ispreferred over a network with lower historic signal quality), cost ofconnecting to the network (e.g., a network with lower connection cost(e.g., price/rate to connect) is preferred over a network with higherconnection cost), whether a network is known to be secure (e.g., a moresecure network is preferred over a less secure network), and so forth.

In at least some implementations, network information stored in thenetwork table 200 is retrieved from the network information service 122.For instance, the client device 102 may query the network informationservice 122 for network information. Alternatively or additionally, thenetwork information service 122 may push network information down to theclient device, such as independent of a query by the client device 102for the network information. Accordingly, in at least someimplementations, the connectivity module 110 may purge old data (e.g.,stale network information) from the network table 200, and may updatethe network table 200 with current network information received from thenetwork information service 122.

Having described an example environment in which the techniquesdescribed herein may operate, consider now some example procedures inaccordance with one or more implementations.

Example Procedures

This section describes some example procedures for performing differentaspects of techniques for geographic information for wireless networksdiscussed herein. The procedures described herein may be used separatelyor in combination with each other, in whole or in part. These proceduresare shown as sets of operations (or acts) performed, such as through oneor more entities or modules, and are not necessarily limited to theorder shown for performing the operation. The example procedures may beemployed in the environment 100 of FIG. 1, the system 900 of FIG. 9,and/or any other suitable environment. In at least some implementations,steps described for the various procedures are implemented automaticallyand independent of user interaction.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for causing anaction to be performed based on geographic position information inaccordance with one or more implementations. In at least someimplementations, the method is performed by the client device 102, suchas by the connectivity module 110.

Step 300 registers to receive a notification that geographic positioninformation is available on a device. For instance, the connectivitymodule 110 registers with a functionality of the client device 102(e.g., the operating system 104) to receive notifications whengeographical position information is locally available on the clientdevice 102. In at least some implementations, the registering includesrequesting that a wake event being communicated to the connectivitymodule 110 to wake the connectivity module 110 from an inactive state toan active state such that the connectivity module 110 can retrievegeographic position information and cause an action to be performedbased on the geographic position information. Thus, the wake event maybe configured as an indication that geographic position information isavailable locally on a device.

Step 302 receives an indication that geographic position information isavailable on a device. The connectivity module 110, for instance,receives a notification from a functionality of the client device 102(e.g., the operating system 104) that geographic position informationfor the client device 102 is available. In at least someimplementations, the notification takes the form of a wake event thatwakes the connectivity module 110 from an inactive state and notifiesthe connectivity module that the geographic position information isavailable.

According to various implementations, geographic position information isretrieved on the client device 102 based on a request from afunctionality other than the connectivity module 110. For instance, anapplication 114 may request location information to determine ageographic location of the client device 102, a direction of movement ofthe client device 102, a rate of movement of the client device 102, andso forth. In response to the request, the client location module 108queries a position information system 118 for geographic positioninformation for the client device, such as GPS coordinates, a geographicplace name, a physical address, and so forth. The position informationsystem 118 returns the geographic position information to the clientdevice 102 such that the geographic position information is availablelocally to different functionalities of the client device 102, such asthe connectivity module 110.

Accordingly, in at least some implementations, the connectivity module110 does not initiate direct requests for geographic positioninformation, but is configured to retrieve and utilize geographicposition information that is retrieved and made locally available byother functionalities. For instance, the indication that thegeographical position information is available is received by theconnectivity module 110 independent of a query by the connectivitymodule 110 for geographical position information.

Step 304 retrieves the geographic position information from a locationthat is local to the device. For instance, the connectivity module 110receives the geographic position information from another functionalityof the client device 102, such as the client location module 108, theoperating system 104, and so forth.

Step 306 performs an action in response to retrieving the geographicposition information. Various actions are performable in relation to theselected wireless network, examples of which are detailed in thefollowing procedures.

Step 308 transitions to an inactive state until further geographicposition information is received. For instance, after performing and/orinitiating various actions in response to retrieving the geographicposition information, the connectivity module 110 transitions to aninactive state until a notification of further geographic positioninformation is received. In an inactive state, the connectivity module110 may be configured to receive wake events to become active, but maynot proactively initiate other actions.

As illustrated, the procedure may return to step 302 when an indicationof further geographical position information is received, such as a wakeevent communicated to the connectivity module 110.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for performingan action based on geographic position information in accordance withone or more implementations. The method, for instance, describes anexample implementation of step 306 described above with reference toFIG. 3. In at least some implementations, the method is performed by theclient device 102, such as by the connectivity module 110.

Step 400 ascertains whether a device is currently connected to awireless network. The connectivity module 110, for example, queries thewireless module 106 and/or the operating system 104 to ascertain whetherthe client device 102 is currently connected to a wireless network.

If the device is not currently connected to a wireless network (“No”),step 402 ascertains whether a wireless network is available at alocation identified by geographic position information. For instance,the geographic position information represents position information thatis retrieved as described above with reference to FIG. 3. Theconnectivity module 110, for example, searches the network DB 112 withthe geographic position information to ascertain whether a wirelessnetwork is available at a location (e.g., a geographic location)identified by the geographic position information.

Alternatively or additionally, the connectivity module 110 queries thenetwork information service 122 with the geographic positioninformation. For instance, the connectivity module 110 communicates thegeographic position information to the network information service 122,which returns information indicating whether a wireless network isavailable and if so, information about the available wirelessnetwork(s). The connectivity module 110 stores the information about theavailable wireless network as part of the network DB 112. Thus, in atleast some implementations, the client device 102 need not maintaincomprehensive wireless network information locally, and may leverage thenetwork information service 122 to provide such information.

If a wireless network is not available at the location (“No”), step 404maintains a wireless radio of the device in an inactive state. Forinstance, one or more of the wireless radios 116 of the client device102 are maintained in an inactive (e.g., off) state. According to one ormore implementations, the procedure may return to step 402 as newgeographic position information is received to ascertain whether awireless network is available. For instance, as the client device 102 ismoving (e.g., with a user that is traveling), new geographic positioninformation is received indicating different locations of the clientdevice 102.

If a wireless network is available at the location (“Yes”), step 406selects a wireless network that is available at the location identifiedby geographic position information. The connectivity module 110, forexample, searches the network DB 112 with the geographic positioninformation to identify a wireless network that is available at alocation (e.g., a geographic location) identified by the geographicposition information. Alternatively or additionally, the connectivitymodule 110 queries the network information service 122 with thegeographical position information, and the network information service122 returns information identifying one or more available wirelessnetworks, and attributes of the wireless networks.

In at least some implementations, a network profile for the selectedwireless network is loaded to enable connection to the wireless network.For instance, the connectivity module 110 retrieves a network profilefrom the network DB 112, and provides information from the networkprofile to a functionality such as the wireless module 106 and/or theoperating system 104. As referenced above, the network profile includesvarious information about the selected network, such as a network ID,authentication information for connecting to the wireless network, andso forth. Thus, an entity involved in negotiating a connection to thewireless network utilizes information from the network profile toestablish a connection to the wireless network.

According to various implementations, the network profile for theselected network is loaded by the connectivity module 110 prior to thenetwork being detected and/or prior to the client device 102 being inconnectivity range of the network. Thus, preparation for upcomingconnectivity to a wireless network can occur to expedite theconnectivity process.

Step 408 schedules a network scan to detect the wireless network. Theconnectivity module 110, for example, notifies the wireless module 106to initiate a network scan (e.g., via one or more of wireless radios116) to detect the selected wireless network. In at least someimplementations, the notification instructs the wireless module 106 toinitiate the network scan immediately, or at a future time.

For instance, consider a scenario where the client device 102 is inmotion, such as with a user that is traveling. Accordingly, theconnectivity module 110 ascertains based on the geographic positioninformation that the client device 102 is not currently in range of thewireless network. However, based on a current trajectory and speed ofthe user, the connectivity module 110 estimates that the client device102 will likely be in range within a specific period of time.Accordingly, the connectivity module 110 schedules the network scan tobe initiated after the specific period of time elapses and/or within aparticular time interval. Battery power is thus conserved by delayingthe network scan until the client device 102 is in range of a knownwireless network. Accordingly, in at least some implementations,scheduling the network scan occurs while the network is not currentlydetected by the device, such as while a wireless radio of the device isin an inactive state.

Step 410 causes a wireless radio of the device to transition from aninactive state to an active state to scan for the wireless network. Inat least some implementations, causing the wireless radio to transitionfrom the inactive state to the active state is a result of the schedulednetwork scan.

Step 412 retrieves authentication information for the wireless network.Examples of authentication information are detailed above, and generallyinclude one or more authentication factors that may be used toauthenticate the client device 102 for access to a particular wirelessnetwork. The authentication information, for instance, is retrieved fromthe network table 200 and/or the network information service 122.

Step 414 communicates the authentication information to be used toconnect to the wireless network. For instance, the connectivity module110 communicates the authentication information to the wireless module106. The wireless module 106 then communicates the authenticationinformation to the selected wireless network to authenticate andestablish wireless connectivity with the selected wireless network. Forinstance, the wireless module performs a network association procedureto associate with the wireless network such that the client device 102transmits and receives data wirelessly via the wireless network.

Returning to step 400, if the device is currently connected to awireless network (“Yes”), step 416 ascertains whether the currentwireless network is a preferred wireless network. The connectivitymodule 110, for instance, compares a network ID for the current wirelessnetwork to the network DB 112 to ascertain whether the current wirelessnetwork is identified as a preferred wireless network. If the currentwireless network is a preferred wireless network (“Yes”), step 418ascertains that the connection to the current wireless network is to bemaintained.

If the current wireless network is not a preferred wireless network(“No”), step 420 ascertains whether a preferred wireless network isavailable at a location identified by the geographic positioninformation. The connectivity module 110, for instance, searches thenetwork DB 112 and/or queries the network information service 122 withthe geographic position information to ascertain whether a preferredwireless network is available at the location. If a preferred wirelessnetwork is not available at the location (“No”), the method returns tostep 418.

If a preferred wireless network is available at the location (“Yes”),step 422 causes the device to switch from the current wireless networkto the preferred wireless network. For instance, the connectivity module110 instructs the wireless module 106 to disconnect from the currentwireless network and to connect with the preferred wireless network. Inat least some implementations, the connectivity module 110 retrievesauthentication information for the preferred wireless network from thenetwork DB 112 and/or the network information service 122, andcommunicates the authentication information to the wireless module 106to be used to connect to the preferred wireless network. Thus, thewireless module 106 proceeds with disconnecting from the currentwireless network, and connecting to the preferred wireless network.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for preparingfor connection to a wireless network in accordance with one or moreimplementations. The method, for instance, describes an exampleimplementation of step 306 described above with reference to FIG. 3. Inat least some implementations, the method is performed by the clientdevice 102, such as by the connectivity module 110.

Step 500 identifies a wireless network based on geographic positioninformation. For instance, the connectivity module 110 searches thenetwork DB 112 with the geographic position information to identify awireless network that is capable of providing wireless connectivity in ageographic region identified by the geographic position information.Alternatively or additionally, the connectivity module 110 queries thenetwork information service 122 with the geographic position informationand requests information for one or more wireless networks capable ofproviding wireless connectivity in a geographic region identified by thegeographic position information.

In at least some implementations, the wireless network is identified asa wireless network that is currently in-range of the client device 102.For instance, the geographic position information corresponds to acurrent location of the client device 102. In another implementation,the wireless network is identified as a wireless network that will bein-range of the client device 102 at a future time. As an example,consider that the client device 102 is in motion, such as with a userthat is traveling. Accordingly, the geographic information may includespeed and trajectory information for the client device 102 which can beused to identify one or more wireless networks that are predicted to bein range at a future time. The future time may be measured in variousunits, such as seconds, minutes, and so forth.

Step 502 prepares to connect to the wireless network. The connectivitymodule 110, for instance, loads connectivity information for thewireless network from a network profile for the wireless network locatedin the network DB 112. Alternatively or additionally, the connectivitymodule 110 retrieves connectivity information from the networkinformation service 122. Generally, the connectivity informationincludes information to enable a wireless connection with the wirelessnetwork to be established. Examples of connectivity information aredetailed above, and generally include a network ID, authenticationinformation, and so forth.

According to various implementations, the connectivity module 110provides the connectivity information to a functionality responsible fornegotiating a connection to the wireless network, such as the wirelessmodule 106, the operating system 104, and so forth.

Step 504 causes a connection to the wireless network to be established.For example, the connectivity module 110 signals the wireless module 106that the client device 102 is in-range of the wireless network, and thusthe wireless module 106 is to scan for the wireless network. Further,the connectivity module 110 notifies the wireless module 106 to utilizethe connectivity information to connect to the wireless network.

Alternatively or additionally, the connectivity module 110 may notifythe wireless module 106 that the client device will be in-range of thewireless network at a future time, such as in seconds, minutes, at aparticular clock time, and so forth Thus, the wireless module 106 mayschedule a scan for the wireless network to be performed at the futuretime and utilizing the connectivity information.

Thus, implementations discussed herein enable preparations forconnectivity to a wireless network to occur in advance, such as beforethe wireless network is detected and/or before the wireless network isin-range. Accordingly, when the wireless network is detected, the clientdevice 102 is already prepared to connect to the network, thus reducingconnection time and resource usage during the connection process.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for selectinga wireless network in accordance with one or more implementations. Themethod, for instance, describes an example extension of the methodsdescribed above with reference to FIGS. 3-5. For example, the methoddescribes an implementation of step 406 of FIG. 4 and/or step 500 ofFIG. 5. In at least some implementations, the method is performed by theclient device 102, such as by the connectivity module 110.

Step 600 ascertains that multiple wireless networks are identified asbeing available at a particular location. The connectivity module 110,for instance, searches the network DB 112 and/or queries the networkinformation service 122 with geographical position information, andascertains that multiple wireless networks are available at a locationidentified by the geographical position information.

Step 602 selects a network of the multiple wireless networks based onthe network being a preferred network. Thus, a particular wirelessnetwork may be selected from the multiple wireless networks based onnetwork preference, e.g., a preferred wireless network is selected overa non-preferred wireless network. Example factors considered indetermining whether a wireless network is preferred are discussed abovewith reference to the network table 200.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for deletingstale network information in accordance with one or moreimplementations. The method, for instance, describes an exampleextension of the methods described above with reference to FIGS. 3-6. Inat least some implementations, the method is performed by the clientdevice 102, such as by the connectivity module 110.

Step 700 ascertains that network information on a device is for one ormore networks that are not available at a current location of thedevice. For instance, the connectivity module 110 ascertains thatnetwork information is stored on the client device 102 for one or morewireless networks that are not available at a current geographiclocation of the client device 102. The network information, forinstance, corresponds to wireless networks that were available at one ormore previous (e.g., historic) locations of the client device 102. Thus,the network information may be considered “stale” in that it is notrelevant to a current geographic location of the client device 102.

Step 702 deletes the network information from the device. Theconnectivity module 110, for instance, causes the stale networkinformation to be deleted from the network DB 112. Accordingly, datastorage space of the client device 102 is conserved by freeing storagespace occupied by stale network information.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram that describes steps in a method for causing awireless radio to transition to an inactive state in accordance with oneor more implementations. The method, for instance, describes an exampleextension of the methods described above with reference to FIGS. 3-7. Inat least some implementations, the method is performed by the clientdevice 102, such as by the connectivity module 110.

Step 800 receives further geographic position information. Theconnectivity module 110, for instance, retrieves further geographicposition information that is different than previously-receivedgeographic position information. According to various implementations,the geographic position information indicates that the client device 102has moved from a previous geographic location to a different geographiclocation.

Step 802 ascertains that a suitable wireless network is not available ata location identified by the further geographic position information.For example, the connectivity module 110 searches the network DB 112and/or queries the network information service 122 with the furthergeographic position information, and ascertains that a suitable wirelessnetwork is not available. In at least some implementations, thisindicates that a wireless network is not available at the location.

Alternatively, this indicates that a wireless network is available, butthat the wireless network does not meet one or more connectivitycriteria for identifying the wireless network as being suitable forconnectivity. Examples of such connectivity criteria include minimumnetwork security procedures, minimum signal strength and/or signalquality, a maximum connectivity cost (e.g., a price for networkconnectivity), and so forth. Thus, a wireless network may be available,but may be determined to be unsuitable due to failure of the wirelessnetwork to meet one or more connectivity criteria.

Step 804 causes a wireless radio to transition from an active state toan inactive state. The connectivity module 110, for instance, causes oneor more of the wireless radios 116 to transition to an inactive stateresponsive to ascertaining that a suitable wireless network is notavailable. Thus, battery power is conserved by inactivating a wirelessradio when suitable wireless networks are not available. Otherwise, awireless radio may continually scan for wireless networks, which reducesbattery life of a device.

According to various implementations, the procedure may return to step302 of FIG. 3 responsive to receiving yet additional geographic positioninformation. Should a suitable wireless network be identified based onthe additional geographic position information, actions may be performedto establish connectivity to the suitable wireless network, such asactivating a wireless radio as well as other actions detailed above.

Thus, techniques discussed herein provide multiple performanceoptimizations for wireless enabled devices. For instance, afunctionality configured to manage wireless connectivity (e.g., theconnectivity module 110) is maintained in an inactive state untilgeographic position information is available, thus conserving power andprocessing resources that would be used to maintain the functionality inan active state. As another example, a scan for an available wirelessnetwork is scheduled based on knowledge of available wireless networksat a particular geographic location, thus preventing open scanning inlocations where suitable wireless networks are not present. As yetanother example, a device's wireless radio may be kept in an inactivestate until the device is at a geographic location known to have one ormore suitable wireless networks.

Having discussed some example procedures, consider now a discussion ofan example system and device in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Example System and Device

FIG. 9 illustrates an example system generally at 900 that includes anexample computing device 902 that is representative of one or morecomputing systems and/or devices that may implement various techniquesdescribed herein. For example, the client device 102 discussed abovewith reference to FIG. 1 can be embodied as the computing device 902.The computing device 902 may be, for example, a server of a serviceprovider, a device associated with the client (e.g., a client device),an on-chip system, and/or any other suitable computing device orcomputing system.

The example computing device 902 as illustrated includes a processingsystem 904, one or more computer-readable media 906, and one or more I/OInterfaces 908 that are communicatively coupled, one to another.Although not shown, the computing device 902 may further include asystem bus or other data and command transfer system that couples thevarious components, one to another. A system bus can include any one orcombination of different bus structures, such as a memory bus or memorycontroller, a peripheral bus, a universal serial bus, and/or a processoror local bus that utilizes any of a variety of bus architectures. Avariety of other examples are also contemplated, such as control anddata lines.

The processing system 904 is representative of functionality to performone or more operations using hardware. Accordingly, the processingsystem 904 is illustrated as including hardware element 910 that may beconfigured as processors, functional blocks, and so forth. This mayinclude implementation in hardware as an application specific integratedcircuit or other logic device formed using one or more semiconductors.The hardware elements 190 are not limited by the materials from whichthey are formed or the processing mechanisms employed therein. Forexample, processors may be comprised of semiconductor(s) and/ortransistors (e.g., electronic integrated circuits (ICs)). In such acontext, processor-executable instructions may beelectronically-executable instructions.

The computer-readable media 906 is illustrated as includingmemory/storage 912. The memory/storage 912 represents memory/storagecapacity associated with one or more computer-readable media. Thememory/storage 912 may include volatile media (such as random accessmemory (RAM)) and/or nonvolatile media (such as read only memory (ROM),Flash memory, optical disks, magnetic disks, and so forth). Thememory/storage 912 may include fixed media (e.g., RAM, ROM, a fixed harddrive, and so on) as well as removable media (e.g., Flash memory, aremovable hard drive, an optical disc, and so forth). Thecomputer-readable media 906 may be configured in a variety of other waysas further described below.

Input/output interface(s) 908 are representative of functionality toallow a user to enter commands and information to computing device 902,and also allow information to be presented to the user and/or othercomponents or devices using various input/output devices. Examples ofinput devices include a keyboard, a cursor control device (e.g., amouse), a microphone (e.g., for implementing voice and/or spoken input),a scanner, touch functionality (e.g., capacitive or other sensors thatare configured to detect physical touch), a camera (e.g., which mayemploy visible or non-visible wavelengths such as infrared frequenciesto detect movement that does not involve touch as gestures), and soforth. Examples of output devices include a display device (e.g., amonitor or projector), speakers, a printer, a network card,tactile-response device, and so forth. Thus, the computing device 902may be configured in a variety of ways as further described below tosupport user interaction.

Various techniques may be described herein in the general context ofsoftware, hardware elements, or program modules. Generally, such modulesinclude routines, programs, objects, elements, components, datastructures, and so forth that perform particular tasks or implementparticular abstract data types. The terms “module,” “functionality,” and“component” as used herein generally represent software, firmware,hardware, or a combination thereof. The features of the techniquesdescribed herein are platform-independent, meaning that the techniquesmay be implemented on a variety of commercial computing platforms havinga variety of processors.

An implementation of the described modules and techniques may be storedon or transmitted across some form of computer-readable media. Thecomputer-readable media may include a variety of media that may beaccessed by the computing device 902. By way of example, and notlimitation, computer-readable media may include “computer-readablestorage media” and “computer-readable signal media.”

“Computer-readable storage media” may refer to media and/or devices thatenable persistent storage of information in contrast to mere signaltransmission, carrier waves, or signals per se. Computer-readablestorage media do not include signals per se. The computer-readablestorage media includes hardware such as volatile and non-volatile,removable and non-removable media and/or storage devices implemented ina method or technology suitable for storage of information such ascomputer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, logicelements/circuits, or other data. Examples of computer-readable storagemedia may include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flashmemory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD)or other optical storage, hard disks, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or otherstorage device, tangible media, or article of manufacture suitable tostore the desired information and which may be accessed by a computer.

“Computer-readable signal media” may refer to a signal-bearing mediumthat is configured to transmit instructions to the hardware of thecomputing device 902, such as via a network. Signal media typically mayembody computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules,or other data in a modulated data signal, such as carrier waves, datasignals, or other transport mechanism. Signal media also include anyinformation delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means asignal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed insuch a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example,and not limitation, communication media include wired media such as awired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such asacoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media.

As previously described, hardware elements 910 and computer-readablemedia 906 are representative of instructions, modules, programmabledevice logic and/or fixed device logic implemented in a hardware formthat may be employed in some embodiments to implement at least someaspects of the techniques described herein. Hardware elements mayinclude components of an integrated circuit or on-chip system, anapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmablegate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and otherimplementations in silicon or other hardware devices. In this context, ahardware element may operate as a processing device that performsprogram tasks defined by instructions, modules, and/or logic embodied bythe hardware element as well as a hardware device utilized to storeinstructions for execution, e.g., the computer-readable storage mediadescribed previously.

Combinations of the foregoing may also be employed to implement varioustechniques and modules described herein. Accordingly, software,hardware, or program modules and other program modules may beimplemented as one or more instructions and/or logic embodied on someform of computer-readable storage media and/or by one or more hardwareelements 910. The computing device 902 may be configured to implementparticular instructions and/or functions corresponding to the softwareand/or hardware modules. Accordingly, implementation of modules as amodule that is executable by the computing device 902 as software may beachieved at least partially in hardware, e.g., through use ofcomputer-readable storage media and/or hardware elements 910 of theprocessing system. The instructions and/or functions may beexecutable/operable by one or more articles of manufacture (for example,one or more computing devices 902 and/or processing systems 904) toimplement techniques, modules, and examples described herein.

As further illustrated in FIG. 9, the example system 900 enablesubiquitous environments for a seamless user experience when runningapplications on a personal computer (PC), a television device, and/or amobile device. Services and applications run substantially similarly inall three environments for a common user experience when transitioningfrom one device to the next while utilizing an application, playing avideo game, watching a video, and so on.

In the example system 900, multiple devices are interconnected through acentral computing device. The central computing device may be local tothe multiple devices or may be located remotely from the multipledevices. In one embodiment, the central computing device may be a cloudof one or more server computers that are connected to the multipledevices through a network, the Internet, or other data communicationlink.

In one embodiment, this interconnection architecture enablesfunctionality to be delivered across multiple devices to provide acommon and seamless experience to a user of the multiple devices. Eachof the multiple devices may have different physical requirements andcapabilities, and the central computing device uses a platform to enablethe delivery of an experience to the device that is both tailored to thedevice and yet common to all devices. In one embodiment, a class oftarget devices is created and experiences are tailored to the genericclass of devices. A class of devices may be defined by physicalfeatures, types of usage, or other common characteristics of thedevices.

In various implementations, the computing device 902 may assume avariety of different configurations, such as for computer 914, mobile916, and television 918 uses. Each of these configurations includesdevices that may have generally different constructs and capabilities,and thus the computing device 902 may be configured according to one ormore of the different device classes. For instance, the computing device902 may be implemented as the computer 914 class of a device thatincludes a personal computer, desktop computer, a multi-screen computer,laptop computer, netbook, and so on.

The computing device 902 may also be implemented as the mobile 916 classof device that includes mobile devices, such as a mobile phone, awearable device, portable music player, portable gaming device, a tabletcomputer, a multi-screen computer, and so on. The computing device 902may also be implemented as the television 918 class of device thatincludes devices having or connected to generally larger screens incasual viewing environments. These devices include televisions, set-topboxes, gaming consoles, and so on.

The techniques described herein may be supported by these variousconfigurations of the computing device 902 and are not limited to thespecific examples of the techniques described herein. For example,functionalities discussed with reference to the client device 102 and/orthe network information service 122 may be implemented all or in partthrough use of a distributed system, such as over a “cloud” 920 via aplatform 922 as described below.

The cloud 920 includes and/or is representative of a platform 922 forresources 924. The platform 922 abstracts underlying functionality ofhardware (e.g., servers) and software resources of the cloud 920. Theresources 924 may include applications and/or data that can be utilizedwhile computer processing is executed on servers that are remote fromthe computing device 902. Resources 924 can also include servicesprovided over the Internet and/or through a subscriber network, such asa cellular or Wi-Fi™ network.

The platform 922 may abstract resources and functions to connect thecomputing device 902 with other computing devices. The platform 922 mayalso serve to abstract scaling of resources to provide a correspondinglevel of scale to encountered demand for the resources 924 that areimplemented via the platform 922. Accordingly, in an interconnecteddevice embodiment, implementation of functionality described herein maybe distributed throughout the system 900. For example, the functionalitymay be implemented in part on the computing device 902 as well as viathe platform 922 that abstracts the functionality of the cloud 920.

Discussed herein are a number of methods that may be implemented toperform techniques discussed herein. Aspects of the methods may beimplemented in hardware, firmware, or software, or a combinationthereof. The methods are shown as a set of blocks that specifyoperations performed by one or more devices and are not necessarilylimited to the orders shown for performing the operations by therespective blocks. Further, an operation shown with respect to aparticular method may be combined and/or interchanged with an operationof a different method in accordance with one or more implementations.Aspects of the methods can be implemented via interaction betweenvarious entities discussed above with reference to the environment 100.

Implementations discussed herein include:

Example 1

A system comprising: one or more processors; and one or morecomputer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructionsthat are executable by the one or more processors to perform operationsincluding: receiving an indication that geographic position informationis available on a device; retrieving the geographic position informationfrom a location that is local to the device; and performing one or moreactions in response to retrieving the geographic position informationincluding: selecting a wireless network that is available at a locationidentified by the geographic position information; and scheduling anetwork scan to detect the wireless network.

Example 2

A system as described in example 1, wherein the indication thatgeographic position information is available comprises a wake event fora functionality that performs the operations.

Example 3

A system as described in one or more of examples 1 or 2, wherein theindication that geographic position information is available isindependent of a query for the geographic position information.

Example 4

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-3, wherein thegeographic position information is retrieved by a first functionality,and where the indication that geographic position information isavailable is received by a second functionality and independent of aquery by the second functionality for the geographic positioninformation.

Example 5

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-4, wherein the systemcomprises a mobile device, and wherein the indication that geographicposition information is available is received by a functionality of themobile device from an operating system of the mobile device, andindependent of a query by the functionality for the geographic positioninformation.

Example 6

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-5, wherein saidselecting comprises using the geographic position information to query aremote service, and receiving identification information for thewireless network from the remote service.

Example 7

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-6, wherein saidselecting comprises using the geographic position information to locatethe wireless network in a database that correlates wireless networks torespective geographic locations, and wherein the operations furtherinclude deleting from the database information for one or more wirelessnetworks that are not identified as being available at the locationidentified by the geographic position information.

Example 8

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-7, wherein saidselecting comprises identifying multiple wireless networks that areavailable at the location, and wherein the wireless network is selectedbased on the wireless network being a preferred network.

Example 9

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-8, wherein saidscheduling the network scan comprises scheduling the network scan tooccur at a future time.

Example 10

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-9, wherein saidscheduling the network scan comprises causing a wireless radio of thedevice to transition from an inactive state to an active state, and toscan for the selected wireless network.

Example 11

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-10, wherein saidscheduling the network scan occurs while the network is not currentlydetected by the device.

Example 12

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-11, wherein theoperations further include retrieving authentication information for thewireless network to be used to connect to the wireless network.

Example 13

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-12, wherein theoperations further include causing connectivity information for thewireless network to be loaded prior to the wireless network beingdetected.

Example 14

A system as described in one or more of examples 1-13, wherein theoperations further include, prior to said receiving an indication thatgeographic position information is available on a device, registering toreceive the geographical position information from a functionality ofthe device.

Example 15

A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a wake eventindicating that geographic position information is available on adevice; retrieving the geographic position information in response tothe wake event; performing one or more actions in response to retrievingthe geographic position information, including: selecting a wirelessnetwork that is available at a location identified by the geographicposition information; and causing a wireless radio of the device totransition from an inactive state to an active state to scan for thewireless network.

Example 16

A computer-implemented method as described in example 15, wherein thewake event is received by a functionality while the functionality is inan inactive state, and wherein the method further comprises, prior toreceiving the wake event, registering the functionality to receive thewake event in response to the geographic position information beingavailable locally on the device.

Example 17

A computer-implemented method as described in one or more of examples 15or 16, wherein said causing comprises scheduling a network scan to beperformed to scan for the wireless network via the wireless radio.

Example 18

A computer-implemented method as described in one or more of examples15-17, further comprising: receiving further geographic positioninformation; ascertaining that a suitable wireless network is notavailable at a location identified by the further geographic positioninformation; and causing the wireless radio to transition from theactive state to the inactive state responsive to said ascertaining.

Example 19

One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions thatare executable by a computing device to perform operations comprising:retrieving geographic position information that is available locally ona device and independent of a query for the geographic positioninformation; and performing an action in in response to retrieving thegeographic position information, including at least one of: selecting awireless network that is available at a location identified by thegeographic position information; scheduling a network scan to detect thewireless network; or causing a wireless radio to transition from aninactive state to an active state to scan for the wireless network.

Example 20

One or more computer-readable storage media as described in example 19,wherein the operations further comprise causing the wireless radio toremain in the inactive state until the device is determined to be at thelocation identified by the geographic position information.

CONCLUSION

Techniques for geographic information for wireless networks aredescribed. Although embodiments are described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the embodiments defined in the appended claims are not necessarilylimited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specificfeatures and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing theclaimed embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: one or more processors; andone or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executableinstructions that are executable by the one or more processors toperform operations including: receiving an indication at a connectivitymanager that geographic position information corresponding to anidentified location of the system is available; based on receiving theindication, activating the connectivity manager from an inactive stateand initiating operations by the connectivity manager to determine ifthe geographic position information corresponds to a location of a knownwireless network; based on determining by the connectivity manager thatthe geographic position information corresponds to the location of theknown wireless network, activating a wireless radio from an inactivestate and initiating operations using the wireless radio including:scanning for the wireless network; receiving authentication informationfrom the connectivity manager; and connecting to the wireless networkbased on the authentication information.
 2. The system as described inclaim 1, wherein the connectivity manager in the inactive state isconfigured to receive wake events.
 3. The system as described in claim1, the operations further comprising based on determining by theconnectivity manager that the geographic position information does notcorrespond to the location of the known wireless network, returning theconnectivity manager to the inactive state.
 4. The system as describedin claim 1, the operations further comprising based on determining bythe connectivity manager that the geographic position information doesnot correspond to the location of the known wireless network, returningthe connectivity manager to the inactive state without activating thewireless radio.
 5. The system as described in claim 1, wherein thedetermining by the connectivity manager that the geographic positioninformation corresponds to the location of the known wireless network isperformed without scanning for the wireless network by the connectivitymanager.
 6. The system as described in claim 1, wherein the determiningby the connectivity manager that the geographic position informationcorresponds to the location of the known wireless network is performedwithout scanning for the wireless network by the connectivity managerand independent of querying for the geographic position information bythe connectivity manager.
 7. The system as described in claim 1, theoperations further comprising loading, by the connectivity manager andprior to activating the wireless radio, a network profile for thewireless network that includes the authentication information.
 8. Thesystem as described in claim 1, wherein the activating the wirelessradio is further based on a determination by the connectivity managerthat the known wireless network exceeds a threshold signal quality orsignal strength at the identified location.
 9. The system as describedin claim 1, the operations further comprising scheduling, by theconnectivity manager and prior to activating the wireless radio, anetwork scan configured to activate the wireless radio at a specifiedtime.
 10. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving anindication at a connectivity manager that geographic positioninformation corresponding to an identified location of a computingdevice is available; based on receiving the indication, activating theconnectivity manager from an inactive state and initiating operations bythe connectivity manager to determine if the geographic positioninformation corresponds to a location of a known wireless network; basedon determining by the connectivity manager that the geographic positioninformation corresponds to the location of the known wireless network,activating a wireless radio from an inactive state and initiatingoperations using the wireless radio including: scanning for the wirelessnetwork; receiving authentication information from the connectivitymanager; and connecting to the wireless network based on theauthentication information.
 11. The computer-implemented method asdescribed in claim 10, further comprising based on determining by theconnectivity manager that the geographic position information does notcorrespond to the location of the known wireless network, returning theconnectivity manager to the inactive state.
 12. The computer-implementedmethod as described in claim 10, further comprising based on determiningby the connectivity manager that the geographic position informationdoes not correspond to the location of the known wireless network,returning the connectivity manager to the inactive state withoutactivating the wireless radio.
 13. The computer-implemented method asdescribed in claim 10, wherein the determining by the connectivitymanager that the geographic position information corresponds to thelocation of the known wireless network is performed without scanning forthe wireless network by the connectivity manager.
 14. Thecomputer-implemented method as described in claim 10, wherein thedetermining by the connectivity manager that the geographic positioninformation corresponds to the location of the known wireless network isperformed without scanning for the wireless network by the connectivitymanager and independent of querying for the geographic positioninformation by the connectivity manager.
 15. The computer-implementedmethod as described in claim 10, further comprising loading, by theconnectivity manager and prior to activating the wireless radio, anetwork profile for the wireless network that includes theauthentication information.
 16. The computer-implemented method asdescribed in claim 10, wherein the activating the wireless radio isfurther based on a determination by the connectivity manager that theknown wireless network exceeds a threshold signal quality or signalstrength at the identified location.
 17. One or more computer-readablestorage media storing a computer program comprising computer executableinstructions, which when executed by a computing device, cause thecomputing device to perform operations comprising: receiving anindication at a connectivity manager that geographic positioninformation corresponding to an identified location of the computingdevice is available; based on receiving the indication, activating theconnectivity manager from an inactive state and initiating operations bythe connectivity manager to determine if the geographic positioninformation corresponds to a location of a known wireless network; basedon determining by the connectivity manager that the geographic positioninformation corresponds to the location of the known wireless network,activating a wireless radio from an inactive state and initiatingoperations using the wireless radio including: scanning for the wirelessnetwork; receiving authentication information from the connectivitymanager; and connecting to the wireless network based on theauthentication information.
 18. The one or more computer-readablestorage media as described in claim 17, the operations furthercomprising based on determining by the connectivity manager that thegeographic position information does not correspond to the location ofthe known wireless network, returning the connectivity manager to theinactive state without activating the wireless radio.
 19. The one ormore computer-readable storage media as described in claim 17, whereinthe determining by the connectivity manager that the geographic positioninformation corresponds to the location of the known wireless network isperformed without scanning for the wireless network by the connectivitymanager.
 20. The one or more computer-readable storage media asdescribed in claim 17, wherein the determining by the connectivitymanager that the geographic position information corresponds to thelocation of the known wireless network is performed without scanning forthe wireless network by the connectivity manager and independent ofquerying for the geographic position information by the connectivitymanager.